Page 100 of Quinton's Quest

Lucky strained at hearing his name and offered awoof.

Isaac chuckled. “You want to run around? Buddy’s up for that as well.” He turned his attention to Quinton. “Sheesh, almost missed you there. Why are you so quiet?”

Quinton laughed. “I can’t always be the center of attention.”

“I don’t see why not.” Ben saluted my friend with his coffee.

Another laugh from Quinton. “Well, good point.” He turned to me. “Do you want me to take Lucky into the run or stay with the kids?”

Tough call.I trusted him with both. But— “I better go in with Lucky. He sort of knows me better.”

“Lucky’s a good dog.” Isaac rose and accepted the mug from Ben. “He and Buddy have a great time chasing each other.

Ben grabbed the leash. “My turn. C’mon, Leo. Let’s go.” He headed toward the gate.

I cast Quinton a last look as he moved toward the kids.

Isaac nodded. As if he saw my trepidation. As if telling me everything would be okay. As if understanding this wasn’t a comfortable place for me. Still, I let Ben lead me to the enclosure. The first gate let us into an fenced space. Once we had that closed, we moved to the second gate.

A cacophony of barks greeted us as about fifteen dogs barreled over.

I tightened my grip on Lucky’s leash, even as he surged forward.

Ben clapped me on the back. “I know every dog in there—Lucky’s going to be fine.”

“He’s not my dog.”

“Isaac used to feel the same way about Buddy. He conquered his fear. You will as well.” He unclipped Buddy, opened the gate, and his dog bolted into the mêlée.

After a moment, I did the same with Lucky who jumped into the fray as well.

Ben and I stepped into the enclosure and closed the gate.

“So you had Buddy before you met Isaac?”

“Yep. Quite a story to go with that. I rescued Buddy while I was attending teacher’s college. Then I got stranded with Isaac during a storm over in Tofino. One hotel room. Two gay men. Could’ve ended up several different ways. In the end, he followed me back to Mission City, secured the job as Harbormaster, and we moved in together. Eventually, we married. Now we’re house hunting.”

“Rough time to be getting into the market. Prices seem to be fluctuating a lot.” I gazed back at the kids who were watching the dogs avidly while Isaac and Quinton spoke. I pivoted my attention back to Lucky who was frolicking with an entire pack of hounds. Dogs whose breed I might recognize and those I didn’t have a clue about. “I bought mine at the perfect time—right between Christmas and New Year’s.”

“Ah. Were you living somewhere else before?”

“In a townhouse in Surrey. I’ve taken a job in Abbotsford, and moving to Mission City made sense. I don’t live far from Gideon and Archer. Easier on the kids.”

“I wasn’t going to ask. Although I’m curious enough to ask what you do. Not that it’s any of my business.”

“Well, you’ve told me what you do as well as your husband’s profession.” I snuck another peek at the group outside the fence as they watched us. “I’m a surgeon.”

“Oh, cool.” Ben nodded. “Is that how you met Quinton? He’s a nurse at the Abbotsford hospital, right?”

I was one hundred percent certain Ben knew the answer to that question. “Yes…we work together.”Because no way am I going to tell you that he and I met in a gay bar in Langley,hooked up, and spent one glorious night in a hotel before I blew it and said something stupid.

“His mom too, eh? Lovely woman.”

“Yes, I’ve met her as well. Everyone around here is very friendly.”

“And they weren’t in Surrey?”

Lucky barked and lunged at a Lhasa Apso.